Antimicrobial Resistance: The Next Global Crisis?

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is generally called the “silent pandemic,” thanks as much to its relative absence of the shock of a viral outbreak — no empty streets, no panicked lockdowns. Instead, it moves on quietly, methodically and globally. As bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites develop to avoid our treatments, the medical tools on which we’ve relied for nearly a century are waning in potency. Without effective antimicrobials, frequent infections could quickly turn deadly, and even basic medical procedures might once again be life-threatening. AMR is not a problem for the future. Already it’s killing millions and increasing every year. Without intervention, experts warn that within our lifetime we risk slipping into a post-antibiotic time. 

What are some consequences of AMR?

Important Surgeries Become Riskier: 

It’s hip replacements, C-sections, heart surgeries — all of them require effective antibiotics to stave off infections.

Cancer Treatments Become Dangerous:

The immune system is suppressed by chemotherapy. Without antibiotics, small infections become deadly.

Neonatal & ICU Care Collapse:  

Many newborns and critically ill patients rely on antibiotics to survive.

Common infections become untreatable:

Urinary tract infections, pneumonia and skin infections are increasingly resistant to first-line antibiotics.

AMR doesn’t stem from a mere one source — it is an intricate, multi-sector issue.

What are the main factors driving this problem?

Antibiotics: Overuse & Misuse in Humans  

• Writing scripts for antibiotics for viral illnesses (think colds and flu).  

• Pressure from patients on physicians towards “quick fixes.”  

• In some countries, it is available over-the-counter.  

• There are incomplete antibiotic courses.

Agricultural & Livestock Overuse  

There is a growing tendency in some districts to dispense antibiotics regularly with farm animals for purposes of growth promotion. That produces resistant bacteria, which can move by:  

• Meat consumption  

• Water runoff  

• Soil contamination  

• Human-animal contact.

Poor Infection Prevention and Sanitation  

In resource-poor settings, a lack of safe water and poor access to healthcare infrastructure also facilitates rapid dissemination of resistant bacteria.

Globalization & Travel  

People and things move fast — and so do resistant microorganisms.

What is ESKAPE?

The Most Dangerous Resistant Pathogens  

Using the acronym ESKAPE, experts can determine the most deadly hospital-associated bacteria:  

• Enterococcus faecium  

• Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA)  

• Klebsiella pneumoniae  

• Acinetobacter baumannii  

• Pseudomonas aeruginosa  

• Enterobacter species  

These organisms can “escape” the effects of nearly all the antibiotics they encounter.

Additionally:  

• Drug-resistant TB  

• Multidrug-resistant gonorrhea  

• Candida auris (a deadly fungus)  

are major global threats.

Current and Developing Solutions

1. Phage Therapy  

Viruses that go after bacteria specifically. Promising for infections that are resistant to any drug.

2. Antibiotic Stewardship Programs  

The initiative originated in hospitals so that the correct antibiotic is given at the right time and for the right timescale.

3. Rapid Diagnostics  

New tests have the potential to detect bacterial and viral infections — reducing unnecessary prescriptions.

4. New Economic Models  

"Subscription" payments in countries such as the UK and US are encouraging drug makers to develop new antibiotics.

5. Enhancements to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene  

Improving infection control at healthcare facilities and in the community also reduces transmission.

What Needs to Happen Now  

A coordinated global response is therefore just as important as climate action. To achieve this, we must:  

• Reduce unnecessary usage of antibiotics in humans and animals  

• Develop research for new medicines  

• Strengthen laboratory capacity and surveillance  

• Strengthen sanitation and water systems  

• Raise public awareness about appropriate use of antibiotics  

• Regulate unlicensed health facilities and counterfeit drugs.

AMR is not a menace lurking in the distance. It is here, silently rising as the world worries about larger and more public crises. But the consequences of letting this go are dire — a world where infections of the smallest variety can once more kill, where operations are too dangerous, where medicine goes back a century.